Green News & Opinion

25 Articles by Joe Brewer

Today we embark upon another tour around the Sun on this precious spinning rock we call home. It is an honor to be among you – the great messengers of change in our time of need. Our journey this time around can be purposeful and productive if we keep in mind ... keep reading

The Invisible Hand of the Market
Courtesy: Throbgoblins
How should we respond to the argument that we need to "wait for the market" to solve our energy and climate problems?
Proponents of the "do nothing" approach to real-world problems often claim that there is no solution to the harmful impacts ... keep reading

One of the great unappreciated musical heroes in my life is Tracy Chapman. Most of us know her for the song or two that made it onto the radio. Perhaps it was Fast Car, Talking 'Bout a Revolution, Give Me One Reason or Across the Lines (the latter hits hard ... keep reading

We are in the midst of an enormous transition from state-based anarchy to global governance. In times past, each sovereign territory sought advantage over its neighbors in the acquisition of resources. Over time the rules were changed and international treaties were forged to gain the valuable benefits of cooperation. But ... keep reading

Andrew Revkin
Environmental Reporter
for New York Times
I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of media reporting that deceives the public about the climate crisis. Andrew Revkin disappointingly presented a grotesque distortion of reality recently as if it were news. He is a science ... keep reading

An article today in the Washington Post is using fear to inhibit action. Juliet Eilperin boldly declares "climate is a risky issue." Essentially saying, "Be careful! You are going to lose something of value." She then goes on to frame efforts to address the climate crisis as costly, while ignoring ... keep reading

It's overloaded already, but within the
next 50 years we'll see another
2.5 billion added to this train we call Earth
The tremendous increase in human population has caused us to pass our carrying capacity – the number of members of a species that can survive at replacement ... keep reading

Photographers are well aware of the use of frames. The boundaries placed around a scene cause our minds to recognize central features and disregard whatever lies outside the border. Thus, when we see a picture hanging on the wall that shows a waterfall in the center of the image with ... keep reading

by Joe Brewer, Rockridge Institute, Berkeley, CA, U.S.A.
The big story today is that the Nobel Peace Prize recognizes the climate crisis as a genuine threat to humanity. It now has official standing along with the proliferation of nuclear weapons, conflict in the Middle East, landmines, and poverty ... keep reading

An article published last week in the science section of the New York Times clearly demonstrates the importance of frames and narratives when discussing important political issues. John Tierney's article "Findings: 'Feel Good' vs. 'Do Good' on Climate" is currently among the most popular articles of the day. This ... keep reading